ABSTRACT

This paper examines the physical and mental health of children following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS). A multi-stage sampling design was used to select households for inclusion in the study. Data were obtained from parental interviews (n = 720) in the harder-hit areas of Louisiana in the US Gulf Coast. Three out of five parents reported that their child had experienced physical health symptoms and nearly one third reported that their child had mental health issues since the oil spill. Both direct physical exposure and indirect economic exposure were found to be predictors of physical and mental health issues among the children. Our findings contribute to bridge the research gap on the impacts of the direct and indirect exposures of the DHOS on the health of children. The study underscores the importance of understanding the health and recovery trajectories of children and youth exposed to disasters. Knowledge gained from this study together with the emerging literature on the effect of the oil spill disaster on children can contribute towards more evidence-based public health policies and enhance the recovery of children and their families in the aftermath of disasters.

摘要

本文研究了深水地平线漏油事件（DHOS）后儿童的身心健康。多阶段抽样设计用于选择要纳入研究的家庭。数据来自在美国墨西哥湾沿岸路易斯安那州受灾最严重的地区的父母访谈（n = 720）。五分之三的父母说他们的孩子有身体健康症状，近三分之一的孩子说自漏油以来他们的孩子有精神健康问题。发现直接的身体接触和间接的经济接触都是儿童中身心健康问题的预测指标。我们的发现有助于弥合DHOS直接和间接暴露对儿童健康的影响的研究差距。该研究强调了了解遭受灾难的儿童和青年的健康和恢复轨迹的重要性。从这项研究中获得的知识以及有关溢油灾难对儿童的影响的新兴文献，可以有助于制定更多基于证据的公共卫生政策，并在灾难发生后促进儿童及其家庭的康复。